Across The Pond
by PJ XD
Summary: After a horrible breakup, and a mess of other stuff, Alice decides to move from London to join her cousin Edward in the Big Apple. Can she take the city by storm, or will she screw up her new life across the pond as well? Maybe it just takes a little romance... Alice spin-off set in NYILY universe. Canon with my other fics. AH OOC A/L FEMSLASH (with a little E/J thrown in)
1. Prologue

**A/N – Hi, guys!**

**So, I'm uploading the first chapter of what will be my Alice-centric spin-off to NYILY/DITHOT. **

**Warning – This story is set four years into the future of the boys' timeline, so if you don't want spoilers (they aren't humungous spoilers, but they're there) then don't read it just yet. **

**Like Kate's spin-off, these chapters won't be regularly posted until I've tied up NYILY, but I'm posting to give a flavour to anyone who's interested. **

**(And if you're wondering about the way Alice spells words, she's English. Her 'voice' speaks in English-English, not American-English).**

**Jasper and Edward of the NYILY universe play a big role in this story, so you'll get a nice glimpse of the later college years for them :-)**

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_**Alice**_

* * *

Ah, hell!

You'd think, wouldn't you, after stepping off a five hour plane ride, that your little cousin would actually be on time to pick you up from the airport?

I mean, is it too much to ask?

I'd say not.

And yet…

I'm standing in the arrivals lounge in JFK, surrounded by families embracing and crying out in joy at being reunited. It's a beautiful picture.

Edward is nowhere to be found, naturally. He better not have forgotten that I'm getting in today.

Although, knowing him, he probably has, and that means that I'm going to have to catch a damn taxi. Again.

Normally, that's not such a big deal, but when I've packed up a year's worth of my life – and by life, I mean shoe collection – into three suitcases and lugged them across a busy airport, expecting to see him waiting dutifully for me on the other side with open arms. Well… colour me unimpressed when he's a no-show.

I dig around in my pocket for my mobile phone, determined to have a good long bitch at his voicemail before I have to drag myself outside to the taxi rank, when I hear my name being hollered.

"Alice!"

I turn, fully prepared to eat my words, except it's not Teddy who is calling me.

Still, it's the next best thing.

His boyfriend.

He holds his arms out in greeting as he jogs to a stop at my side, and I launch myself into them, breathing in the smell of his sandalwood cologne. Good to see that Jasper has been keeping up with fashion in New York – he's done me proud.

"You look great," I enthuse, when he sets me back on my feet. It's not a lie – I don't swing that way, but if I did, Jasper would totally be what I'd go for. He's six-feet-three-inches of golden tan and yummy muscles. The fitted t-shirt and snug jeans only serve to accentuate his impressive physique, and his honey blond curls are sort of tousled carelessly.

Sparkling blue eyes look down at me from above his mega-watt grin. "I got drafted to come and get'cha. Edward's all tied up right now."

"I hope you don't mean that literally," I tease. "Because, you know, he's my cousin, and that would be really gross."

Jasper laughs, the warm, infectious sound that I remember so well. "Oh, Ali, I've missed ya."

It's been eight months since I saw him last, right around the disastrous Valentine's day where I found out my girlfriend was pregnant. And yeah, I know how that sounds, but she's bisexual, and apparently spent over a year of our relationship screwing around on me with some guy.

Love sucks. It really does.

"Your room in the apartment is all set up," Jasper tells me in his husky, southern voice as he effortlessly picks up two of my bags, even though they weigh an absolute ton. This, I reason, is why you need a man on standby. Vicky couldn't pick up bags for me with her skinny chicken arms.

Screw girls, and I don't mean that literally anymore. I'm just going to become a spinster fag hag.

It's much less complicated, you see.

"So, it's me, you, Edward and Seth?" I check, as Jasper sets off towards the automatic doors. His legs are so long that I have to take three strides to match one of his. Lucky I walk quickly, isn't it?

"Yup," he agrees. Jasper and Edward rented out a great three bedroom apartment when they first started at NYU and Columbia respectively, and their friends Seth and Makenna moved in with them. But then, when Chuck proposed to Kenna, she moved out, creating a space. An Alice-sized space, it transpires, because I decided shortly thereafter – thanks to Victoria fucking up my entire life – to ditch my flat in London and take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Kind of daunting, considering I've travelled across the pond to remake my life with nothing more than two grand in the bank and a fervent prayer that I might actually be able to start fresh.

"Not that I'm not pleased to see you, Jazzy," I say, "But what kept Edward?"

Jasper grimaces. "Research project. It's only the second week, but senior year is really kickin' his ass."

My baby cousin is studying biomedical engineering. Fuck knows why. He always was the brains of the family. I just like to make things look pretty.

"Is he on edge, then?"

"Keeps bitin' my fuckin' head off whenever I ask him if he's doin' okay," Jasper grumbles, though he seems more concerned than annoyed. That's the only thing I have reservations about living with the pair of them over. I can put up with the obnoxiously loud sex, the constant teasing, and the disgustingly mushy-gushy-ness they sometimes end up spouting to each other, but the genuine adoration they have for each other is going to be difficult to stomach in my post-Vicky blues.

You'd think that nearly four years together would've toned the I-love-you-so-much-I-could-just-die vibes down a notch.

You'd be wrong. If anything, they're worse than they were when they first hooked up.

I don't really begrudge them their happiness, honestly. If any two people are meant to be together on this shitty little planet, it's Edward and Jasper.

"How's the family?" I ask, as we reach Jasper's car. Actually, it's Edward's car, but there's little point in making the distinction. Jasper pops the trunk of the Volvo and begins manfully loading in my bags, waving off my pitiful attempts at assistance.

"They're good. Rosie's declared her major. Mechanics. Em's got her workin' in the shop with him for extra trainin'."

"Not a surprise." I smile. Rosalie was always an oddity – the cheerleader who preferred auto shop coveralls to her tiny skirted uniform. But then, I'd expect nothing less from the sister of the small-town Texan gay quarterback. "What about Tanya?"

"She's takin' Chicago by storm, as per. Gramma and Mama went out to her first PR event. They said it was really somethin'."

"And Katie and little MJ?" I ask, as Jasper slams the trunk back into place.

"They're great. Comin' out for a visit next month, actually. Katie says she just has to wait for Garrett to get vacation clearance from the hospital before they book their flights."

"I bet you're excited." I walk round to the passenger side door and crack it open.

"Can't wait. MJ talks on the phone now, too. He was all 'Unca Jay, Mama says I getta come stay with you an' Unca Teddit'."

I laugh. "Teddit?"

"He can't say Edward," Jasper replies with a grin as he slides into the driver's seat. "Or Teddy, apparently."

I can't help but snicker at that. Edward has enough issues with his childhood nickname without that being butchered as well. Still, I can't really imagine him getting pissed at a three year old.

Jasper starts the ignition and throws the car into reverse as he manoeuvres out of the tight parking space.

I watch the scenery flash by the window in comfortable silence for a while, before Jasper pulls me out of my reverie. "How you doin', Tink? You know… with the whole Vicky mess and that."

I sigh. Jasper is probably one of about two people in the entire world who could ask me that without me biting their head off. The other one is Aunt Esme. "Um… not great, but I'm dealing with it."

"She's a bitch," he offers. "Don't know what's good for her, if you ask me."

"Thanks, babe," I say, even though I know he's placating me. That's just Jasper, sweeter than candyfloss, and much less likely to give me cavities from prolonged exposure.

"You just wait, Ali." He's staring out of the windscreen, his deep blue eyes alight with, if not excitement, then at least a close relative to it. "You're gonna own this city, and you'll forget all about her. You're gonna meet some girl who actually knows how fuckin' lucky she is to have you."

"Hm," I reply noncommittally. "Maybe."

When we pull up at Jasper's place – my new place, I realize – I'm actually feeling a glimmer of excitement stirring in the pit of my stomach, as opposed to the hollow nothingness I've been feeling for a while. This is it. My fresh start.

My new adventure.

"Go on up, Alice, I'll get the bags," Jasper says chivalrously, and I make a mental note to bitch-slap my cousin if I ever catch him taking Jazz for granted. The man is a true southern gentleman, through and through.

I take the stairs up to the top floor, to apartment 21. I almost raise my hand to knock, but then I remember that this is technically my house, now, so I try the handle.

The door swings open.

It's exactly as I remember from my last visit. Open plan, great decor, light and airy. Edward is sprawled across one sofa, fast asleep, with a textbook balancing on his chest and his reading glasses askew. I grin fondly at him.

Seth isn't home, I don't think, but I can't be sure. I edge further into the room, dropping my purse onto the breakfast bar, just as Jasper comes up the stairs and kicks the door shut behind him as he crosses the threshold.

"What have you got in these damn bags, Alice? Rocks?" he grumbles, setting them down in a neat pile by the coat stand.

"Shoes. And clothes. And maybe a few books."

He rolls his eyes and rounds the breakfast bar into the kitchen area. "I'm gonna grab a beer. You want one?"

"Please."

Jasper extracts two beers from the fridge and places one in my hand as he comes back into the living area. He walks straight past me over to where Edward is lying, zonked out, and gently places one hand on his shoulder.

"Darlin'?" he shakes him. Edward jerks awake, mumbling something incoherent, and pushes himself upright. He looks kind of adorable with his glasses all wonky like that.

"Wattimeizit?" he groans. Jasper reaches over to straighten his crooked spectacles, smiling.

"It's just after one, Ed."

"Shit! I gotta go get Alice!" He jumps up from the sofa, nearly knocking Jasper flying, and skirts around him to race towards the door. Brushing past me on his way, I might add. "Sorry, 'scuse me, Alice," he mutters, and then freezes when he realizes what he's just said. Slowly, he swivels on one foot to stare at me.

"No need to go and get me, Teddy, I'm here," I say unnecessarily.

He blinks, astonished by this turn of events. Edward's pretty dopey when he just wakes up. "How did you get here?"

"Jasper," I explain.

Edward refocuses on his boyfriend, his eyes going all soft. "You didn't have to do that. You should've woken me up, babe."

Jazz shrugs. "Nah, you were dead beat. S'alright."

And, right now, this is the point where I have to turn my face away, because I can't watch the warm, glowy love emanating from my cousin's every pore as he looks at Jasper. It hurts too damn much.

It's just a reminder of what I lost. What I never really had to begin with.

_No_, I think to myself sternly. _Man up, Alice_. New York is going to change things.

A fresh start.

No need for romance.

_Like Jasper said, you're gonna own this town_.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**PJ**

**x**


	2. One

**A/N: Alternating POV's in this story, as in my other spin-off with Kate and Garrett. I'm probably going to blitz out a couple of DITHOT chapters tonight, so if you're reading that, stay tuned! **

**On with Leah's take on life…**

* * *

_**One**_

_**Leah**_

* * *

"That table over there needs wiping down, Clearwater."

Wow. Not even a please. And would it kill him to call me Leah, rather than just barking out my surname at me like that? Manny the manager really is a world-class asshole. I glance up from the glasses I'm currently stacking and survey him reproachfully over the bar.

"I'll get to it in a minute, Manny."

Manuel is his real name, and he doesn't like it when I shorten it, but considering he doesn't seem to care about my constant reminders to call me by my first name, I take great pleasure in pissing him off.

Not too much, though. It sucks to admit it, but I still need this job. Being a waitress in a cocktail bar sucks, but it's a step up from my last shot-girl gig. At least there's a bar separating me from the men that like to grab my ass most of the time, here.

The sooner I get some publisher interest for my books, the better, I think, letting out a long-suffering sigh as I finish stacking up the glasses and pull a rag from under the counter to go and mop up the spilled alcohol on the table he'd indicated.

Pulling the day shift always sucks, because the only company I have is that of gin-soaked socialites and fucking Manny.

The door opens in my peripheral vision.

Almost as if my desperate, needy subconscious has summoned him, Jasper strolls through, looking all hot in a dark blue shirt and chinos. I feel a swell of pride; I picked that out for him.

Jasper pulls off preppy better than most guys I've ever seen, but I think a part of him still misses his roper jeans and flannel shirts.

He's a country boy at heart.

"Hey there, _pequeña loba_," he greets me. I can't help but smile at his endearment. 'Little-she-wolf' in Spanish. He's called me that for nearly as long as I've known him. Ever since I jokingly told him that he sounds sexy when he speaks Spanish.

"Hey, Tex," I reply, throwing the towel down and bracing my hands on my hips. "Come to brighten up my day?"

"You know it." Jasper shoots me a blinding grin. Edward really hit the jackpot with him – charm, looks, brains, a good heart; this boy's the whole package. If only we could all be so lucky. Summer really fucked me over when she ran off to Paris to be with Marguerite, but I guess that'll teach me to go for style over substance. Airhead bitch.

"How's your day goin'?"

"Like shit," I reply honestly. "Manny's being a total ass."

Jasper leans closer to me, resting his hand on the now-clean table top. "You might wanna lower your voice… he can probably hear you."

"Good. Fuck him."

He laughs, reaching up to push a stubborn golden curl from his indigo eyes.

"You know, Leah, it kinda amazes me that you've managed to hang onto this job for as long as you have, what with you bitchin' about your boss while he's in earshot and all."

I shoot Jasper a winning smile, slinging the dishrag over one shoulder and sashaying my way back to the bar. He follows behind me.

"So, are you gonna come over tonight?"

"Huh?" Distracted as I am by Manny lurking surreptitiously – or, at least, he thinks he's being surreptitious – in the corner, I barely listen to Jasper's question.

"Leah!" he snaps his fingers in front of my face, and I jump. Feeling a little guilty, I turn to meet his dark blue eyes.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

"Are you gonna come over tonight for Alice's 'welcome to New York' party?"

"Sure," I reply, but I'm not all that enthused about the idea. Jasper knows I'm not exactly a social butterfly, and while it's going to be a party that consists mainly of my closest friends, I've never met the guest of honor before. And I'm not good with new people. They tend to get the wrong idea about me. The words 'ice-cold bitch' have been thrown around on occasion.

The whole idea of new interaction sort of gives me a stomach ache.

"What's with the face, _pequeña_ _loba_?" Jasper asks, ducking his head so that I meet his eyes again. I force myself to look up, rather than studying the sticky, dried alcohol spills on the counter.

"You know how I feel about new people, Jasper," I admit, picking at my fingernails in a self-conscious gesture. He gives me a look that's full of pity, and I fucking hate it.

"Alice doesn't count as new people. She'll talk to you for five minutes and y'all will be friends for life. That's just Ali."

I nod, though I'm far from convinced. I've heard stories about Alice, of course, but I've never really bought into them as true to life. They must be at least a little exaggerated, because nobody can be as out there as Jasper and Edward describe her.

"Are you teachin' tonight?"

I glance up at Jasper again, realizing that I must've zoned out for the second time. "Um… no. Not until Tuesday." Which kind of sucks. My part-time kickboxing instructor gig down at the community center is way cooler than my current employment.

"Good," Jasper declares happily, giving me another sunny grin. "Then you'll be able to come to ours at seven with everyone else."

Just then, Manny decides that I've had enough basic human interaction for one shift, because he emerges from the shadows like a fucking vampire and practically shoos Jasper out of the door. I watch him go with a heavy heart, before going back to cleaning my counter.

_I could really use some excitement in my life._

* * *

I arrive at Edward, Jasper and Seth's place at exactly seven. I don't know whether it's one of those parties that I should be fashionably late to or not, but I figure that the sooner I arrive, the sooner it will all be over and I can just go home. I use the bottle of wine I'm clutching in my right hand to tap on the door to apartment 21.

A moment later, it swings open, and music swells out to greet me. Edward's messy bronze head pokes around the doorframe, and he breaks out into a wide smile when he realizes that it's me.

"Leah! You made it!"

"Well, yeah…" I mutter, pressing the wine bottle into his outstretched hand as I cross the threshold and shrug out of my jacket. "Jasper convinced me to come over."

"Wow, way to make it sound like we had to twist your arm," Edward replies with an eye roll as he leans across me to push the door shut. "Anyone would think you don't actually want to hang out with your friends."

I give him a sharp look. "That's not what I… oh, fine. I just… I'm not really in a party sort of mood."

"Oh, good," Edward enthuses, sounding bizarrely genuine. "You can be the company for Alice's misery, then."

"Alice?" I frown, following him into the kitchen area with a nod to my brother and Jake, who are playing some kind of video game on the sofa. "I thought she was like Little Miss Sunshine and Daisies?"

Edward grimaces as he uncorks the wine and pours two generous glasses. "She was. This breakup with Victoria has really hit her hard. I've never seen her so down."

"Oh," I say, feeling an unexpected flash of sympathy for the girl. I remember feeling the exact same way after Summer left last year. "That sucks."

"I'll say." Edward offers me one of the glasses, and I accept, taking it carefully so's not to spill the red liquid everywhere. He's filled it up practically to the brim.

I raise one eyebrow at him. "Trying to get me drunk, Cullen?"

"Always." He shoots me a deviant grin. "Drunk Leah is about ten times more fun than regular Leah."

"Well, jeesh," I grumble, trying to disguise my smile by taking a sip of my drink. "You really know how to make a girl feel loved."

"We all know I'm not really about making girls feel loved, Lee-Lee," he retorts, still grinning away. "Besides, you're tough, you can take a little honesty."

I shake my head at him ruefully and allow my gaze to wander. Chuck and Kenna are sitting in the same armchair, and Kenna seems to be mid-gush about wedding plans to a very excitable and extra-bouncy Collin. Eric and Jasper are having an animated discussion about something in the far corner, both brandishing short glasses filled with amber liquid and gesticulating wildly. Embry seems to be offering Jake unsolicited advice about how to beat Seth in their game.

"Where _is_ Alice?" I ask, because my quick inventory hasn't turned up any unfamiliar faces.

Edward cranes his neck, scanning the room as I just have. "Huh. I dunno." He sighs. "Let me check her room. Be right back."

He disappears off. I linger by the kitchen island for a moment, before deciding that I might as well go and have a smoke while everyone else is otherwise occupied. Without saying a word to anyone, I cross to the window and slide myself out over the sill onto the fire escape.

I right myself, pulling my cigarettes out of my back pocket. I pat myself down for a lighter, and bite back a curse when I realize that I've left it in my jacket pocket. I debate going back inside to retrieve it for a moment, until a soft voice snaps me out of my reverie.

"Need a light?"

I jump, whirling in the direction of the sound. My eyes meet a pair of intelligent, deep brown ones, and then my gaze refocuses on the speaker's whole face.

I guess I found Alice.

She's not exactly what I expected, in all honesty. I mean, I've been told that she's beautiful, and she undoubtedly is, but I expected her to be more Disney-princess than Goth-chic. Her dark eyes are made darker by the thick kohl pencil outlining them, and her dark clothes hug her figure in a strategic, stylish way. She's wearing a loose-knit black jersey thing that probably cost more than my rent, and artfully ripped skinny jeans. Her shoes are clearly this season's Jimmy Choo stilettos. I would give my right arm to be able to afford shoes like that.

She presses her full lips into a thin, crimson line and arches one dark eyebrow halfway up her pale forehead. She's really, really pale. Practically luminescent. It stands in stark contrast to the cute, jet-black pixie cut that frames her face.

I realize that I've just been watching her like a moron without speaking for nearly two minutes, and I run one hand through my long hair sheepishly.

"Um, yeah, thanks."

She offers me her lighter – a personally engraved Zippo – and I spark up a cigarette before handing it back to her. She takes it with slender fingers that end in fluorescently orange nails.

"You must be Leah," she says, and I notice her accent for the first time. British. I don't know why that surprises me – I mean, I know she's from England – but it does take me aback a little.

"How did you guess?"

"Because I've met everyone else here. Process of elimination."

"Oh," I grin, feeling a bit dense. "Right."

"Edward says you don't really go in for the whole 'party' thing?" Her dark eyes flicker towards mine, and I find myself nodding.

"I'm not a people person," I admit.

"Me neither." She blows out a long stream of smoke, before settling herself on the fire escape, one leg bent at the knee. After a moment of deliberation, I join her.

"That's not what I heard."

She gives me a sidelong look. "Well, it's a recent development. I used to be all la-di-da. Now, I pretty much hate the world, and every fucker in it." Alice's lips quirk up at the corners into a hint of a grin. "No offence, of course."

"None taken," I answer, feeling myself returning her smile. "I'm a New Yorker. I pretty much hate the whole world, too."

"Who was it for you?" she asks.

"Huh?"

"That fucked you up. Everyone's got a story."

"That's pretty personal, Alice."

"Yeah," she agrees, swiveling slightly to face me. "But I'm a nosy and invasive person by nature, so you might as well get used to it."

I can't help but chuckle a little at that. I'm not used to people having so little verbal filtration. It kind of reminds me of… well, me. "My ex broke my heart. She ran off to France with some girl called Marguerite."

"Ouch," Alice winces. "Was she at least some cliché woman with hairy armpits and garlic breath?"

"If only," I sigh. "She's a model for Vogue. Legs like a giraffe. Blonde. Skinny as a rake."

Alice winces again, and takes another pull on her cigarette. "Bitch."

"Tell me about it."

We smoke for a few moments in silence, before I ask the question that's plaguing me. "So, who fucked you up? That Victoria chick?"

Alice nods, her face twisting into a grimace. "We're together for five years, off and on, and then I find out she's been cheating on me with some guy named Nick for over a year, and the reason I find out is because she comes home and tells me that she's pregnant."

Whoa.

I blink at Alice for a couple of minutes, startled into silence. "You're serious?"

"As a fucking heart attack."

"What a whore."

"Yep. She kept the flat we lived in, too." She shudders slightly. "Ugh. Her and that Nick guy live there now. Raising their devil spawn." Alice considers for a second. "Actually, that's probably not fair. The baby hasn't done anything wrong."

"Its mom is Beelzebub, though. It might come out with horns and a tail," I offer, and it actually elicits a small giggle from her.

"I hope not, for the kid's sake." She takes another drag. "I just hate feeling all broken and tortured, you know? Like, I keep wondering what it says about me that my girlfriend felt the need to cheat on me. And not just cheat, but cheat with a guy. It's just… well, it's a blow to the ego and the heart all in one go."

During her confession, Alice's eyes have gotten a little watery. She catches a wayward tear with the knuckle of her index finger, giving me a slightly embarrassed smile. "Sorry, Leah. I didn't mean to get all teary and emotional on you."

"Hey," I shrug. "It's your party. You can cry if you want to."

She smiles weakly. "That is what they say, isn't it?"

We're quiet for a few seconds. It's not awkward, even though her eyes are still glistening with unshed tears. That's a rarity for me – crying people tend to make me feel uncomfortable.

"It'll get better," I assure her. "After a while, you just start to heal up on the inside. You don't even realize that it's happening until it's happened."

Alice turns to me with a rueful smile. "Oh, really? How can you be so sure? What if I can't process through all this shit in my head?"

I tip my head back against the brick wall, exhaling smoke. "I teach kids how to kickbox down at the community center, you know?"

She clearly doesn't know where I'm going with this rapid subject-change. "Right…?"

"And, when one of them falls down, I always ask them 'are you hurt, or are you injured?' Do you know why?"

Alice shakes her head, eyes trained on mine.

"Because I then tell them, 'if you're injured, I'll send you home to curl up in bed, rest your injury and get better. But if you're hurt, just pick yourself up, dust off your knees and jump right back into the action, because the pain will go away if you power through it.'"

She nods slightly. "That sounds… wise."

"Right. So, Alice, the first thing you've gotta figure out is how you feel about Victoria and what she did – are you hurt, or are you injured? Because that'll tell you what you need to do in order to move on."

Alice regards me with a really contemplative look. "Wow. You're kind of like a hot version of Yoda, y'know?"

I laugh, pleased at the compliment as much as the punch line. "It's been said before."

"I thought it was worth repeating."

"Guys?" Edward's head pokes out through the open window, and he looks a little surprised to see the two of us bonding on the floor over our broken hearts and life lessons. "I've been looking for you, Ali."

"I've been sitting still for the last hour, Edward," Alice replies, without even glancing at him. "How hard did you look?"

I snicker. She shoots me a tentative smile.

Edward's green eyes flicker between the two of us for a moment, and then he smiles as well. "Okay. Fine. I'll leave you girls to your pity party."

"No," Alice says decisively, standing up in one swift, graceful movement. She balances perfectly on her killer heels. "The pity party is over, Edward. I'm ready to join the actual fun."

He flashes her a grin, and she returns it in earnest. Edward's eyes land on me, and he raises his eyebrows in a wordless question. I see the glimmer of gratitude there, though I'm not entirely sure what it is that I've apparently done.

Alice makes her way over to the window, dropping the butt of her cigarette over the side of the fire escape. Edward ducks out of the way as she throws one leg over the sill, before turning to look at me one more time.

"She hurt me," she murmurs. "But I'm not injured."

I smile at her widely. "Then that's a start."

My head turns to look out at the windows of the building opposite, and I watch the shadows moving behind the curtains for a few moments before I realize that Alice hasn't moved.

"Leah?"

I turn back to look at her questioningly. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

And, with that, she ducks through the window, finally rejoining her party.

* * *

**So, there's Leah's perspective. And also, the sage advice that she gives Alice in this chapter is borrowed from one of my favorite TV shows. It really resonated with me when I watched it (Pretty Little Liars, if you don't know) and I decided that the whole hurt or injured distinction needs to be imparted to all those who have just gone through a breakup. **

** Thanks for reading!**

**PJ**

**x**


End file.
